Moisture content in maple top

Hello. First post, first guitar build. I'm planning to make a Gibson LP with a 2-piece top - African Mahogany with carved flame maple top. I've had the AM for a while and have made some furniture with it over the last couple years. The moisture content appears to be ~6%...slightly below the low end of my meter. The maple I bought online as a book matched set for a guitar top. I believe it was advertised as being kiln dried, but I honestly do not recall. The maple moisture content is closer to 11-12%, which is consistent with being air dried. Is this worth using as is? I'm not as concerned about the impact on sound (wrongly?) as I am with the stability of one board at 11% glued to another at 6%.

I cannot justify kiln drying one top, so the alternative would be finding another top.

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I'll have more questions.

Mike

Hi there, and welcome to the forum !

A 6 to 8% moisture content would be satisfactory in hardwoods. 11-14% though a little high, the relative humidity is an important factor, as wood kept between 48%-50% humidity at optimal temperature will quickly acclimatise reaching a stable moisture content over time, conferring max stability.

Caveat : I'm leaning slightly to the figures from acoustic guitars, but don't feel that the two will be significantly different.

Great. Thanks for the advice. If this were an acoustic guitar, I would not use the top. For a solid body, it's probably low risk.
Mike

Sol said:

Hi there, and welcome to the forum !

A 6 to 8% moisture content would be satisfactory in hardwoods. 11-14% though a little high, the relative humidity is an important factor, as wood kept between 48%-50% humidity at optimal temperature will quickly acclimatise reaching a stable moisture content over time, conferring max stability.

Caveat : I'm leaning slightly to the figures from acoustic guitars, but don't feel that the two will be significantly different.

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If your not in a rush, keeping your Maple as I described previously may improve things.
However, almost all tone wood is kiln dried and on sale in a shop as a finished guitar a month later. It's just how guitars are made today.